2026 Compare Cities Education:
McAllen, TX vs Columbia, SC

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Highlights
- Columbia spends 43.1% more per student than McAllen.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 1.7% higher in Columbia than in McAllen. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Columbia had 17.5% more residents who had graduated High School compared to McAllen
 McAllen, TXColumbia, SCUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$17,157$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$11,138  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$9,360$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio15.11  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock5744573
 Students per Counselor359  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock2.2%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.10.1%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock90.5%88.9%
 Some College Educ.19.3%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock7.7%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.31.5%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock11.7%9.3%
 Professional Degree2.1%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock3.3%1.5%
Reviews for Mcallen    17 Reviews

Over 6 years ago

My wife and I are snowbirds from Iowa. We tried the McAllen area for a couple of seasons. We didn't like it, and have since opted for Mesa, AZ. Mesa ranked No. 8 in the  More

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On transfer here for two years now. Pros: Daytime traffic is pretty decent, when using Interstate 2. Home prices are cheaper, when compared to the national average.  More

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Over 12 years ago

with 3  More

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Reviews for Columbia    50 Reviews

Over 3 years ago

I love living in Columbia! I recently graduated from USC and plan to stay. I read the reviews posted here and it shows that like many cities, your experience will depend  More

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Loved living in Columbia, SC prior to my job transfer. It's the perfect size - plenty to do, but still a laid back place. People are extremely friendly, there are  More

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Columbia is such a unique and underrated place. It has a lot of character and history, and good nature trails. Everything feels accessible (by car) and you can get from  More

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